What do you see differently about Spyderco than other companies.

[tymiller]

Just out of curiosity, as I’m a bit of a neophyte in the knife world compared to many of you. What is it about Spyderco you find most different from other knives or knife manufacturers? Just wondering.
Thank you.

[Evil D]

In no particular order off the top of my head:

• Far greater willingness to experiment with steel types

• This is subjective, but I think a far better understanding of ergonomics

• Interacting with and listening to their customers

• Variety of styles, lock types, colors, handle materials and then also combined with steel types even within a single model creates a lot of options

• I still count the thumb hole and pocket clip even though most companies offer this. For example there are "higher end" brands that still use thumb studs and for me personally they are antiquated by comparison to the thumb hole. I do sometimes question the clip placement on some models but I think Spyderco make a better standard clip than most, but also wouldn't mind seeing them develop a deep carry clip too.

• Customer service. Even though many people have had issues with spotty communication (myself included) and other people may not get what they want, I think they have great customer service. I would agree that they could improve their email response because people just don't make phone calls like they used to, and if you're going to offer a customer service email then you need to actively support it. Otherwise having a customer service background myself maybe I'm more forgiving but I've been pleased with my interactions with them on the few things I've needed.

• Innovation in general, which may be an all encompassing category that most of this fits into but they've done some wild things in production. What other brand has a standard production Rex 121 model right now? S110V? Maxamet? H1/2? The other companies with the balls to even try tend to only do steels like that in small limited batches but Spyderco have taken some of the most elite steels available and have made them standard production, which make them so much easier to own. Even if the asking prices are getting high for stuff like this, it's still impressive that they're even doing it at all. There are older and much larger knife companies that would never take a chance on stuff like this and probably couldn't pull it off as well if they did.

[Manixguy@1994]

I think Dave nailed it . MG2

[thuyenbuom]

Very well spoken Evil D!
Especially Spyderco's innovations and their "Far greater willingness to experiment with steel types."

[Danke]

I think the most important one is how they engage with their customers.

You could spend a lot of time searching and I'd be willing to bet you'd never find another founder who spends as much time as Sal does talking to and listening to the public.

[Fastidiotus]

All the reasons mentioned above. The thing that continually strikes me is the influence we have on this forum. The littlest comments or requests sometimes make it into production models. Sometimes it's a new steel, sometimes it's a new blade shape. Spyderco's willingness to gamble production on it's hardcore fan base instead of just producing standardized lowest common denominator models as cheap as possible for maximum profits is unusual

[Soban]

Just out of curiosity, as I’m a bit of a neophyte in the knife world compared to many of you. What is it about Spyderco you find most different from other knives or knife manufacturers? Just wondering.
Thank you.

Pretty unique designs compared to what is considered standard(though they have a lot of redundant designs internally, especially around the 30-150 price point) and quality/unique steel options that are well treated. They also have some of the widest blades I consider to be practical and I appreciate that.

[WilliamMunny]

Everything Dave’s said, plus amazing customer service.

[tymiller]

Thank you all for the great information. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer.

[RustyIron]

What is it about Spyderco you find most different from other knives or knife manufacturers?

Spydie Hole
Spydie Hump
Fancy steel

Other companies have some nice knives, but they don't have the trifecta of features that Spyderco does.

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

I think Dave nailed it . MG2

+1

[Joesrx]

I think the mule line is a great example of a difference. Where else can you talk about future products. The choices are the reason I keep buying.

[ChrisinHove]

Spyderco are fundamentally a toolmaker, not a toy maker .

And the UKPK.

[The Mastiff]

This company is is more about high performing edges than following trends in steel and knife design just to sell knives. They are trend setters and if they bring a new steel to market you can be sure other companies will be following as quickly as possible. Mule team knives are one example of them doing what they can to get feedback while introducing steels at prices not intended to maximize profit. No one else even tries. It's pretty obvious that knife afi's and steel junkys are running the show here and not accountants from an umbrella sporting goods company.

[Mushroom]

I don't pay enough attention to other companies to notice what Spyderco is doing differently. I live under a rock shaped like the Spyderco logo.

[gooeytek]

I don't have to look hard to find knives I like when it comes to Spyderco. There are also many aftermarket options for customization.
It takes more internal convincing to for me to like knives from other brands, usually because of steel choice.

Spyderco will offer me a premium steel and blade profile and preferred lock configuration, so I can truly put together a knife that I really want to use and keep (Ti Framelock Militaries in steels that I prefer, Ti-handled Delica wharnies, Ti-handled REX-121 Sage 5, the crazy combinations of Manix 2's, as examples).

On the flipside, I hate Emerson knives for what they are or claim to be, but some of their designs are among my most-loved (CQC-10, 5/6, PTAC). That said, I need to have someone do extensive mods or make me those knives based on their aesthetic, but with better steel, better grinds, better handles, etc.

[electro-static]

I feel like Sal and Eric enjoy making knives as tools that people will use, and that love permeates the products they make and bring to market.

As a company I think spyderco is more willing to ask it’s customers what they want, and to explore exotic steels that previously only would be available in custom knives pushing the boundaries the industry.

K390 is an example of a steel that is much beloved in the knife community today that spyderco is nearly solely responsible for bringing to production knives. Before you would need to order a custom in it so it wasn’t really known if folks would like it enough to sell a lot of knives, but spyderco took a risk, and got it out there at scale at a reasonable price and now it is much beloved. I can’t see another production knife company take that type of risk with such a difficult material.

[Guts]

Evil D already hit on the ergos thing, but as I've branched out to other companies here and there, I wanted to expound on it a bit further as the ergos have only stood out more in favor of Spyderco for me.

The in house Spyderco designs were clearly designed to be used and it's something you can tell as soon as you get them in hand, and well, use them. What makes them designed for use? Well if you imagine a line through the center of a PM2 for example, holding it horizontally it has a bit of a downward arc to it. Majority of other manufacturers will have just a straight line through the center. Why is this important? This means that in a neutral grip in hand, the knife edge or point is already naturally pointing downwards towards whatever material you're cutting with a Spyderco.

Other mfg knives are either pointing upwards or straight in your hand, meaning you now have to angle the knife downward in order to get the same power behind your cut that you just get naturally with a Spyderco without having to adjust anything. The handle design ergos in conjunction with Spyderco's blade shapes with full flat grinds, they're just great slicers.

Finger choils. While I'd just prefer a handle forward design myself, Spyderco is the only company who seems to do finger choils safely. Your finger is fully protected from the heel of the edge when you use the finger choil and there's jimping to prevent any slippage. Other manufacturers put your finger a lot of times right in contact with the heel and there's no jimping. If you have big hands, fat fingers, or even if you don't, that's a no go. You'll just cut yourself.

Other designs I'm not sure if they're even intended to be a finger choil or just empty space (wasted space imo) not intended to be used. For example, the Benchmade Bugout or the Iridium from Kershaw. Own an Iridium and putting your finger up on the "choil" and the heel is stabbing right into your finger. Hold it below the "choil" and I feel it just pushes your hand too far down the handle and is awkward to use that way. They're okay in a hammer grip because you can hold it wherever that way, but when I want more finesse that a finger choil provides, I don't consider them safe to use.

So it's those little details that Spyderco does and other manufacturers do not that makes Spyderco stand out for me. Not even mentioning all the exotic steels they let us steel junkies play with. As a freehand sharpener I love the fact they have so many steels to try. I still enjoy other manufacturer designs, but not sure there's any other brand out there doing things quite like Spyderco even in the off chance I wanted to switch.

[dullmaker]

Like David said above.
In addition, this forum and the direct interaction with Sal. Really cool to see new ideas suggested here(examples:the Jazz Delica; BBB and 15v) turn up as actual and affordable products. The K390 Wharncliff Delica rarely leaves my pocket.
As the Mastiff said above “ It's pretty obvious that knife afi's and steel junkys are running the show here and not accountants from an umbrella sporting goods company.”
Spyderco does the right thing the right way.

Bruce

[Paul Ardbeg]

In no particular order off the top of my head:

• Far greater willingness to experiment with steel types

• This is subjective, but I think a far better understanding of ergonomics

• Interacting with and listening to their customers

• Variety of styles, lock types, colors, handle materials and then also combined with steel types even within a single model creates a lot of options

• I still count the thumb hole and pocket clip even though most companies offer this. For example there are "higher end" brands that still use thumb studs and for me personally they are antiquated by comparison to the thumb hole. I do sometimes question the clip placement on some models but I think Spyderco make a better standard clip than most, but also wouldn't mind seeing them develop a deep carry clip too.

• Customer service. Even though many people have had issues with spotty communication (myself included) and other people may not get what they want, I think they have great customer service. I would agree that they could improve their email response because people just don't make phone calls like they used to, and if you're going to offer a customer service email then you need to actively support it. Otherwise having a customer service background myself maybe I'm more forgiving but I've been pleased with my interactions with them on the few things I've needed.

• Innovation in general, which may be an all encompassing category that most of this fits into but they've done some wild things in production. What other brand has a standard production Rex 121 model right now? S110V? Maxamet? H1/2? The other companies with the balls to even try tend to only do steels like that in small limited batches but Spyderco have taken some of the most elite steels available and have made them standard production, which make them so much easier to own. Even if the asking prices are getting high for stuff like this, it's still impressive that they're even doing it at all. There are older and much larger knife companies that would never take a chance on stuff like this and probably couldn't pull it off as well if they did.

Echo Evil D! There is much more thinking and effort behind the knives that Spyderco makes, than some of the other companies. I always like to read how a Spyderco knife came to existance and that often shows how involved Spyderco is in (knife) communities globally. And of course the awsome forum